DOCSLIB.ORG

Gambling on the Future: Casino Enclaves, Development, and Poverty Alleviation in Laos Kearrin Sims

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gambling on the Future: Casino Enclaves, Development, and Poverty Alleviation in Laos Kearrin Sims Gambling on the Future: Casino Enclaves, Development, and Poverty Alleviation in Laos Kearrin Sims Abstract Following the extraordinary wealth generation of casinos in Macau and Singapore, governments and non-state actors across Southeast Asia have developed gambling establishments as a means of fast-tracking economic growth and stimulating national development. Yet, here and elsewhere, casinos have been heavily criticized for their association with immoral behaviour, problem gambling, corruption, and organized crime. In this article, I focus on two casinos in northern Laos to address two research questions. First, I consider how casinos have come to exist within the remote border regions of one of Asia’s least developed countries. I discuss vice economies within the Golden Triangle region, multi-actor aspirations to boost transnational connectivity within continental Southeast Asia, strengthening political-economic relationships between Laos and China, and Government of Laos efforts to use foreign investment as a mechanism for increasing governance capacities in borderlands. Following this, I critically analyze the relationship between casinos and development in Laos. I focus specifically on the multifarious effects of casinos on the lives and livelihoods of local communities to argue that casino development has been informed by logics of expulsion and the establishment of new predatory formations. To make this argument, the article draws on four fieldwork visits to each of the casino sites between 2011 and 2015, desk- based research, and interviews with local residents, casino staff, and members of the Government of Laos. Keywords: Laos, casinos, expulsion, Chinese tourism, special economic zone, Greater Mekong Subregion DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5509/2017904675 Introduction ince Macau first liberalized its casino industry in 2002, there has been a rapid expansion of gambling establishments within Southeast Asia. SIn Cambodia, more than fifty casinos are currently operating, in the __________________ Kearrin Sims is a lecturer in Development Studies at James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. He is also an adjunct research fellow with Western Sydney University’s Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI). Email: [email protected] © Pacific Affairs: Volume 90, No. 4 December 2017 675 Pacific Affairs: Volume 90, No. 4 – December 2017 Philippines billions of dollars are being spent on integrated casino resorts, and in Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam, casinos have become increasingly prominent components of burgeoning intraregional tourism markets.1 In short, casinos are now a notable feature of the region’s political economy. As evidenced in the work of Warren, Southeast Asia’s contemporary gaming sector builds on a long history of commercial gambling.2 Yet, as Zhang and Yeoh have argued, the current phase of casino gambling appears to be intimately associated with neoliberal capitalism’s “insatiable drive for geographical expansion and economic interconnection.”3 As new aggregations of leisure, tourism, employment, and consumption, casinos have become dynamic sites of global connectivity that have produced new governance arrangements and partnerships between the state and private sector, and generated new movements of people, commodities, and capital.4 Following the massive financial revenues generated by Macau’s and Singapore’s gaming sectors, casinos have also been increasingly perceived by state and private actors as remarkable assets for stimulating economic growth and development. In 2013, Macau’s thirty-five casinos produced gaming revenues seven times greater than the entire Las Vegas strip. At US$45 billion, such revenues have allowed for massive investment in social services and public infrastructures that have assisted the small self-administrating region’s 600,000 residents in attaining the world’s fourth-highest life expectancy and GDP per capita indices.5 Singapore’s two casino resorts, the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, also recorded combined 2013 profits exceeding the Las Vegas strip, and have played a pivotal role in the __________________ 1 Erin Lin, “The Socio-economic Impact of Border Casinos in Rural Cambodia,” paper presented at Beyond the State’s Reach: Casino Spaces as Enclaves of Development or Lawlessness?, IIAS Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21–23 August 2015; Muhammad Cohen, “Amid Philippine Transition, Ghost of Presidencies Past Rises In Razon Casino Plan,” Forbes Asia, 14 May 2016, accessed 1 June 2016, http://www.forbes.com/sites/muhammadcohen/2016/05/14/amid-philippine-transition-ghost-of -presidencies-past-rises-in-razon-casino-plan/#4bacb1e979ec. 2 James Warren, Gambling, the State and Society in Thailand, c. 1800-1945 (New York: Routledge, 2013). 3 Juan Zhang and Brenda S.A. Yeoh, “Harnessing Exception: Mobilities, Credibility, and the Casino,” Environment and Planning A 48, no. 6 (2016): 1065, doi: 10.1177/0308518X15609175. 4 Zheng Gu, “Macau Gaming: Copying the Las Vegas Style or Creating a Macau Model?” Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research 9, no. 1 (2004): 89–96; Joan Henderson, “Betting on Casino Tourism in Asia: Singapore’s Integrated Resorts,” Tourism Review International 10, no. 3 (2006): 169–179; Sytze F. Kingma, ed., Global Gambling: Cultural Perspectives on Gambling Organizations (New York: Routledge, 2010); Zhang and Yeoh, “Harnessing Exception.” 5 Tim Simpson, “Non-State Actors, Informal Networks, and Resurgent Medievalism in Macau’s Casino Industry,” paper presented at Beyond the State’s Reach: Casino Spaces as Enclaves of Development or Lawlessness?, IIAS Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21–23 August 2015, 16–17; Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “The World Factbook: Macau” (2016), accessed 1 June 2016, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mc.html. 676 Casino Enclaves and Development in Laos country’s rejuvenation as a “must-see” luxury destination of highly ordered investment and consumption.6 Yet, in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, casinos have also been heavily criticized for their association with immoral behaviour, gambling addiction, corruption, and organized crime.7 In the United States, Grinols has demonstrated links between the gaming sector, suicide, and bankruptcy, while in Myanmar and Cambodia Nyíri and Sripana, respectively, have reported casino-related violence and predatory money lending.8 Concerning Macau, Zandonai has argued that casino industries have undermined the livelihoods of small and medium enterprises, Sheng and Tsui have suggested that an uneven distribution of casino wealth has caused “serious social division,” and Hing has demonstrated a relationship between casino gambling, money laundering, and criminal violence.9 Consequently, whether or not casinos are beneficial or destructive to national socio-economic development and community well-being remains the subject of much debate. In this article, I explore the complex political-economic entanglements surrounding two casinos in northern Laos. In a country where more than 70 percent of the population are agriculturalists and the vast majority of foreign investment has been directed towards natural resource extraction, casinos have been championed as new mechanisms for development that will boost foreign investment, increase state revenues, offer new employment opportunities, and bring urbanization and public infrastructures to remote border regions.10 However, of the two casinos to operate in the country’s north, one has been closed following media reports of kidnapping, assault, and murder, and the other has faced criticism in the international media __________________ 6 Zhang and Yeoh, “Harnessing Exception,” 1072. 7 Gu, “Macau Gaming”; Chan Yuk Wah, “Fortune or Misfortune? Border Tourism and Borderland Gambling in Vietnam,” in Asian Tourism Growth and Change, ed. Janet Cochrane (Oxford: Elsevier, 2008), 145–156; Li Sheng and Yanming Tsui, “Casino Booms and Local Politics: The City of Macau,” Cities 26, no. 2 (2009): 67–73; Davis K.C. Fong, Hoc Nang Fong, and Shao Zhi Li, “The Social Cost of Gambling in Macao: Before and After the Liberalisation of the Gaming Industry,” International Gambling Studies 11, no. 1 (2011): 43–56; William Vlcek, “Taking Other People’s Money: Development and the Political economy of Asian Casinos,” The Pacific Review 28, no. 3 (2015): 323–345; Sheyla Zandonai, “Gambling and the Colonization of Space: Enclaves, Sprawling and Contrasted Spaces in Macau,” paper presented at Beyond the State’s Reach: Casino Spaces as Enclaves of Development or Lawlessness?, IIAS Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21–23 August 2015. 8 Earl Grinols, Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004); Pál Nyíri, “Enclaves of Improvement: Sovereignty and Developmentalism in the Special Zones of the China-Lao Borderlands,” Comparative Studies in Society and History 54, no. 3 (2012); Thanyathip Sripana, “Casinos and Threat to Social Stability,” paper presented at Beyond the State’s Reach: Casino Spaces as Enclaves of Development or Lawlessness?, IIAS Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21–23 August 2015. 9 Lo Shiu Hing, “Casino Politics, Organized Crime and the Post-colonial State in Macau,” Journal of Contemporary China 14, no. 43 (2005): 207–224; Sheng and Tsui, “Casino Booms,” 68; Zandonai, “Gambling and the Colonization of Space.” 10 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “The World Factbook: Laos,” (2016), accessed 1 June 2016, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gambling in Asia
    6th6th AnnualAnnual LegalLegal GamingGaming SummitSummit 2323--24th24th JanuaryJanuary 20122012 London,London, UKUK Solutions GAMBLINGGAMBLING ININ ASIAASIA anan insightinsight toto thethe AsianAsian marketmarket Business George M. Mangion GMM GAMBLINGGAMBLING ININ ASIAASIA Y O U Solutions R F O C U S D Business E T E R M I N S T H E O U T CO M E GMM GamblingGambling inin ChinaChina y The current laws in China prohibit all types of gambling both online and offline y The only forms of legal gambling in China are the two government lotteries: the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Solutions Lottery y The China Welfare Lottery Issuing Center (CWLC) is regulated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and was authorised by the State Council to issue lottery tickets since 1987 y The China Sports Lottery Administration Center (CSAC) Business is regulated by the General Administration of Sports and has been authorized by the State Council to issue lottery tickets since 1994 GMM GamblingGambling inin ChinaChina y Since 2007, China’s lottery market has rapidly expanded with sales exceeding RMB 100 billion and a continuous annual growth rate of 25% y In 2010, China’s lottery market has generated RMB 69.4 billion Solutions in profits, of which 75% was used to build new community sports centres and fund social welfare programs y Macau and Hong Kong are both considered Special Administrative Regions and even though still part of the PRC they both require passport visas to enter, and both have completely different laws and forms of government. Business y Officially, casino gambling is restricted to Macau, and betting on horse races is restricted to Hong Kong.
    [Show full text]
  • Allens Arthur Robinson (Allens) Is A
    January 2010 edition contents In brief: Unveiling a new look for 2010, this month's issue of the VLU reports on recent New rules for education 1 changes in the education and petroleum sectors. Proposed changes to the 3 We also cover recent pronouncements on labour code apartment usage and take another look at the A strict approach to apartment 6 requirements for acquiring Vietnamese usage citizenship. We take a close look at the current A new phase for the 7 petroleum sector laws governing gambling in Vietnam, while our An update on acquiring 9 case commentary reports on an HCMC decision Vietnamese citizenship in which the Court looked at the entire Casinos in Vietnam – the state 10 circumstances of a contract in reaching its of play decision. Case commentary 13 New legal instruments 15 Visit www.vietnamlaws.com Allens Arthur Robinson (Allens) is a . subscribe to (or take a free tour leading international law firm in South of) Vietnam Laws online East Asia, Greater China, and Australia. database – a searchable database of over 3,400 of our With 15 offices in Bangkok, Beijing, English translations of Brisbane, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese laws regulating Hong Kong, Jakarta, Melbourne, Perth, investment and business Phnom Penh, Port Moresby, Shanghai, . access free translations of a Singapore and Sydney, Allens has an selection of Vietnamese laws extensive network in Asia. read the Vietnam Legal Update from 2010 back to 1997 - Allens' Vietnam practice is led by complete with index of contents resident partners Bill Magennis, Nigel and search function The material contained in Vietnam Legal Update Russell and Thomas Miller.
    [Show full text]
  • Lao Pdr Tourism Recovery Roadmap
    TOURISM RECOVERY ROADMAP LAO PDR Short, medium and long term priorities POINTS TO BE COVERED 1. Assignment Objectives 2. Tourism in Lao PDR: 2019, 2020 3. Pandemic Related Challenges for the Tourism Sector 4. Strategy Considerations for Lao PDR 5. Proposed Priorities and Actions for Recovery 2 1. ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES SCOPE OF WORK 1. Update data on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector 2. Identify interventions for MOICT to help tourism recover (domestic tourism, travel bubble, green and sustainable tourism) 3. Identify priorities, actions, responsibilities for implementation, based on case studies in other countries LIMITATIONS 1. 16 days starting mid November, to be completed by end December 2. Deskbased driven 3 2. TOURISM IN LAO PDR 2019 1. Tourism contribution: 9.1% to the Lao economy & 300,000 jobs 2. Source of foreign exchange earnings: tourism in 3rd place 3. Tourism arrivals: 4.79 million (Thailand 45% - China 21.3% - Viet Nam 19.3% - Republic of Korea 4.2%) 4. Domestic tourism: 2.3 million 5. Tourism promotion budget: US$ 200,000 (US$ 0.04 per international arrival) Then came 2020 ….. 4 2. TOURISM IN LAO PDR ct’d 2020 closures, lay-offs, income decline % change from Impact of COVID- Source Impact area Jan - Sep ‘19 to 19* market Jan - Sep ‘20 International arrivals -74% Thailand -77% Revenue - restaurants, -72% to -81% China -47% accommodation, tours, attractions Viet Nam -73% Income decline (75% of MSMEs) -41% to -60% Republic of -70% Cash flow reserves (55% of SMEs) 5 months Korea Staff measures** : leave without pay 30 - 60% of staff reduced pay 10 - 30% of wages laid off Up to 75% of staff • Reference period varies for the different Domestic tourists in accommodation -33% impact areas (Jan - Mar 2020, Jan - Sep 2020, Jun - Jul 2020) International tourists in -82% accommodation ** Sector specific measures as per report table 4 5 3.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Southampton Research Repository
    University of Southampton Research Repository Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis and, where applicable, any accompanying data are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis and the accompanying data cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content of the thesis and accompanying research data (where applicable) must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder/s. When referring to this thesis and any accompanying data, full bibliographic details must be given, e.g. Thesis: Author (Year of Submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University Faculty or School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Ambassador Donald R. Heath, the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and the Franco-Viet Minh War, 1950-1954 by Alexander David Ferguson Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2018 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON Abstract FACULTY OF HUMANITIES History Doctor of Philosophy AMBASSADOR DONALD R. HEATH, THE U.S. EMBASSY IN SAIGON AND THE FRANCO-VIET MINH WAR, 1950-1954 By Alexander David Ferguson This thesis provides the first scholarly analysis of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon from the American decision to support France’s war against the Viet Minh with military and economic assistance in 1950 to Ngo Dinh Diem’s appointment as prime minister of Vietnam in 1954.
    [Show full text]
  • V-4 Tourism Industry Development Plan
    PLANET CPC – JICA V-4 TOURISM INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT PLAN V-4.1 Present Condition of Tourism in SKR 1) Tourism Resources and Products The major interest for tourists visiting Lao PDR are (i) nature, (ii) local life observation, and (iii) culture, which differ from tourism observed in ordinal tourism destinations. 1 It means that Lao PDR is an eco-tourism destination for international tourists, in lieu of ordinal sightseeing tourism. The major tourism resources in Lao PDR are (i) Vientiane, (ii) City of Louang Prabang which is a World Heritage site with old Lao style buildings and temples, (iii) Jar highland with Jar pots, (iv) Wat Phu Kmer heritage which is a candidate for the World Heritage, and (v) Boloben plateau in Champassak province. More than 50 % of the tourists visited Louang Prabang, and 15 % visited Jar highland and Champassak Province. Savannakhet and Khammouan provinces, receiving approximately 3-4 % of the tourists as shown in Figure V4-1, are not the major destinations for international tourists. Popular Destination for International Tourist in Laos (%) (duplicated answer) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jar Bakeo Huapanh Vientiane Xayabouli Champassak KhammouanBolikhamxay Luang Namtha Savannakkhet Louang Prabang Source: Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos, 1998 Figure V4-1 Tourist Arrival by Destination in Lao PDR The major tourism destinations in SKR are listed below, and their distribution is illustrated in Figure V4-2. 1 Statistical report on Tourism in Laos, 1998 reported that international tourists show main interest in 1) Nature (72%), 2) People (54%), 3) Culture (35%), etc.
    [Show full text]
  • 2009 Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos
    Visit Laos Year 2012 2009 Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos ºö¤¡¾­-êȺ¤-êȼ¸-Á¹È¤-§¾© Lao National Tourism Administration Planning and Cooperation Department Statistics Unit ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) publishes annually, statistics relating to tourist arrivals, foreign exchange earnings from tourism, tourist expenditures, the average length of stay of tourists in Laos as well as an accommodations profile. The purpose of this Statistical Report on Tourism is to provide the public with clear information on a rapidly expanding sector of the Lao economy. The LNTA would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude to the following agencies: Provincial Tourism Departments / Offices, The Lao Immigration Department, Wattay International Airport Authority, Lao travel agents and hotels for their cooperation as well as their valuable assistance in the processing of statistical data and conducting statistical surveys. On behalf of the LNTA, I hope that the 2009 Statistical Report on Tourism in Lao PDR will be useful and beneficial to all of you. Somphong Mongkhonvilay Minister, Chairman of the Lao National Tourism Administration Source of data: Lao National Tourism Administration Table of Contents Page Background Information 1 Statistical Data Part I : Visitor Arrival Statistics 2009 5 Table 1: Number of Tourist Arrivals, Revenue from Tourism, and Average Length of Stay, 1990-2009. 5 Table 2: Number of Tourist Arrivals by Region, 1992-2009. 6 Table 3: Number of Tourist Arrivals to Laos by Category 2008-2009. 7 Table 4: Revenue from Tourism by Category, 2009. 7 Table 5: Tourist Arrivals to Laos by Nationality (Percent Increase) 2003-2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Tourism Sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion
    Evaluation Study Reference Number: SAP: REG 2008-58 Sector Assistance Program Evaluation December 2008 Tourism Sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion Operations Evaluation Department ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations CBT – community-based tourism GDP – gross domestic product GMS – Greater Mekong Subregion GMS-SF – Greater Mekong Subregion Strategic Framework GZAR – Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lao PDR – Lao People’s Democratic Republic MTCO – Mekong Tourism Coordination Office MTDP – Mekong Tourism Development Project NTO – national tourism organization PRC – People’s Republic of China RCAPE – regional cooperation assistance program evaluation RCSP – Regional Cooperation Strategy and Program RTSS – regional tourism sector strategy SAPE – sector assistance program evaluation TA – technical assistance TWG – Tourism Working Group UNESCAP – United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNWTO – United Nations World Tourism Organization NOTE In this report, “$” refers to US dollars. Key Words adb, asian development bank, cambodia, development effectiveness, greater mekong subregion, guangxi zhuang autonomous region, infrastructure, lao people’s democratic republic, people’s republic of china, laos, myanmar, performance evaluation, tourism, tourism development, thailand, tourism marketing, viet nam, yunnan province Director General H. S. Rao, Operations Evaluation Department (OED) Director H. Hettige, Operations Evaluation Division 2, OED Team leader M. Gatti, Senior Evaluation Specialist, Operations Evaluation Division 2, OED Team members F. De Guzman, Evaluation Officer, Operations Evaluation Division 2, OED C. Roldan, Senior Operations Evaluation Assistant, Operations Evaluation Division 2, OED I. Garganta, Operations Evaluation Assistant, Operations Evaluation Division 2, OED Operations Evaluation Department, SE-13 CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i MAP x I.
    [Show full text]
  • Approaches to the Assessment of the Contribution of Tourism Into the Regional Surplus Product: Case of the Kaliningrad Region
    ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 6 No 3 S5 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy June 2015 Approaches to the Assessment of the Contribution of Tourism Into the Regional Surplus Product: Case of the Kaliningrad Region Elena G. Kropinova Nataliya A. Zaitseva Maxim Moroz Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Russian Federation Email: [email protected] Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s5p275 Abstract Article examines the contribution of tourism to the regional economy through construction of the value added chain. The results of research of an integrated model of formation of the tourism industry contribution to regional surplus product; the augmented and transformed model of the tourism product; the characteristic of ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ in the production and marketing of regional tourism product testing carried out on the model example of the Kaliningrad region of Russia. The authors apply the logic-structural method in strategic planning and management of socio-economic systems. In the constructed ‘problem tree’, hierarchically represented a causal link between negative or adverse events that hinder or even will prevent future development of the tourism industry. Developed and described scenarios for the tourism industry (project-ambitious, compensation, basic). The factors that will have the greatest impact on the development of tourism in terms of solving regional problems of the economy ‘transition period’ after the end of the Special Economic Zone, operating in 2006-2016, were grounded. In order to assess the contribution of tourism to the regional economy it is not enough to rely solely on the statistics. This is due to the fact that there are no universal formulas for the isolation of the share is created by tourism in a number of sectors that make up the value chain for tourism.
    [Show full text]
  • No 65 March 2012 Lexisnexis (A Division of Reed Elsevier (Greater China) Ltd)
    No 65 March 2012 LexisNexis (a division of Reed Elsevier (Greater China) Ltd) Publisher Adam Jordan IPBA JOURNAL Editor The Official Publication of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association Wilda Fong Editorial No 65 March 2012 CY Mak Design Zoe Yau IPBA News Advertising Sales 4 The President’s Message Jennifer Luk 5 The Secretary-General’s Message Tel: 852-2965-1432 Fax: 852-2976-0840 6 The IPBA 22nd Annual Meeting and Conference Email: [email protected] 8 IPBA Event Calendar 9 IPBA Moderators’ Highlights from the Conference An imprint of LexisNexis Legal Update (a division of Reed Elsevier (Greater China) Ltd) 16 The Best Paper Prize Winner 3901, 39/F, Hopewell Centre, ‘What’s in a Name’… John Doe Arrives in India 183 Queen’s Road East, The winning article of the 2nd Annual Best Paper Prize Program examines the Hong Kong origins of the John Doe order, also known as a ‘rolling’ Anton Piller order, and Tel: 852-2965-1400 considers the various approaches used by different jurisdictions in using these Fax: 852-2976-0840 orders as a means of enforcing intellectual property rights. This article then analyzes the usage of John Doe orders and further initiatives taken by the Indian Courts Internet: www.lexisnexis.com.hk 26 The Gambling Business in Vietnam: What can Foreign Email address: Investors Expect? [email protected] Vietnam is poised to become a major destination for gambling business investors. However, under Vietnamese law, gambling is discouraged. This article examines the ISSN 1469-6495 pros and cons to opening the casino business in Vietnam and the uncertainty that exists in the country’s gambling regulations IPBA Journal is the official journal of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association.
    [Show full text]
  • TOURISM INSIGHTS 2020 a SNAPSHOT of EMPLOYMENT and SKILLS in the TOURISM and HOSPITALITY SECTOR in LAO PDR Information for Job Seekers
    SKILLS FOR TOURISM PROJECT • LAO/029 TOURISM INSIGHTS 2020 A SNAPSHOT OF EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS IN THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR IN LAO PDR Information for Job Seekers 2019 TOURISM IN VISITOR NUMBERS In 2019, international tourist arrivals reached AND REVENUE million an all-time high million Overseas visitors International Average stay $935 tourism for all tourists 4.8 +14.4% +15.2% receipts on 2018 HIGHS on 2018 Think Tourism Tourism Jobs Tourism has long been one In 2018 tourism in Lao PDR supported around 54,000 jobs, of the strongest sectors in about 63% of which are done by women. Tourism jobs are Lao PDR. concentrated in urban areas but also widely available around the country in a range of businesses. Tourism employs In 2019 it was predicted people of all ages, abilities and skill sets. that by 2025 there will be 5.8 million international tourist arrivals, generating USD$1.21 billion in revenue. This is good news for young people deciding on jobs and career pathways – more tourists will create more job Tourism and opportunities. Working in tourism is a great way to learn hospitality skills, meet interesting people, try different jobs and have employment in 2018 opportunities to travel. by province Impact of COVID-19 The downturn in tourism caused by COVID-19 impacted every tourism business in the country. Some have closed temporarily and it is reported that around one-third of There is always a jobs in the sector were shed. Once travel restrictions ease, shortage of qualified personnel to fill international travellers will return and the tourism sector will the wide variety of jobs in the tourism recover.
    [Show full text]
  • THE IVORY TRADE of LAOS: NOW the FASTEST GROWING in the WORLD LUCY VIGNE and ESMOND MARTIN
    THE IVORY TRADE OF LAOS: NOW THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE WORLD LUCY VIGNE and ESMOND MARTIN THE IVORY TRADE OF LAOS: NOW THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE WORLD LUCY VIGNE and ESMOND MARTIN SAVE THE ELEPHANTS PO Box 54667 Nairobi 00200 ๸သࠥ ⦄ Kenya 2017 © Lucy Vigne and Esmond Martin, 2017 All rights reserved ISBN 978-9966-107-83-1 Front cover: In Laos, the capital Vientiane had the largest number of ivory items for sale. Title page: These pendants are typical of items preferred by Chinese buyers of ivory in Laos. Back cover: Vendors selling ivory in Laos usually did not appreciate the displays in their shops being photographed. Photographs: Lucy Vigne: Front cover, title page, pages 6, 8–23, 26–54, 56–68, 71–77, 80, back cover Esmond Martin: Page 24 Anonymous: Page 25 Published by: Save the Elephants, PO Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya Contents 07 Executive summary 09 Introduction to the ivory trade in Laos 09 History 11 Background 13 Legislation 15 Economy 17 Past studies 19 Methodology for fieldwork in late 2016 21 Results of the survey 21 Sources and wholesale prices of raw ivory in 2016 27 Ivory carving in 2016 33 Retail outlets selling worked ivory in late 2016 33 Vientiane 33 History and background 34 Retail outlets, ivory items for sale and prices 37 Customers and vendors 41 Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort 41 History and background 42 Retail outlets, ivory items for sale and prices 43 Customers and vendors 44 Savannakhet 45 Ivory in Pakse 47 Luang Prabang 47 History and background 48 Retail outlets, ivory items for sale and prices 50 Customers
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism Enterprises in the Lao People’S Democratic Republic
    NO. 141 JUNE 2020 ADB BRIEFS KEY POINTS The Impact of COVID-19 • Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was rapidly growing in the Lao People’s on Tourism Enterprises in Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). However, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: measures implemented to 1 contain the pandemic are An Initial Assessment expected to severely affect the tourism sector. • This brief draws on findings from two rounds of tourism enterprise surveys in four of IntrodUCTION the Lao PDR’s major tourism destinations in August 2019 and May 2020. Before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, travel and tourism contributed 10.4% to global gross domestic product (GDP) and supported 319 million jobs • Half of the surveyed (World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC] 2019). International tourist arrivals enterprises were temporarily reached 1.5 billion in 2019, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization closed in May 2020. About 78% of enterprises were (UNWTO) forecasted that international arrivals would grow by 3%–4% in 2020 closed in Louangphabang, (UNWTO 2020a). Arrivals in the Asia and Pacific region were expected to grow a popular UNESCO World by 5%–6% in 2020. If managed well, this rapid expansion of tourism was expected Heritage destination. to contribute to poverty reduction and inclusive growth (Chok, Macbeth, and About 70% of the surveyed Warren 2007; Mitchell and Ashley 2009; ADB 2017). enterprises had reduced employees, with employee Since March 2020, COVID-19 has paralyzed tourism as countries closed their borders, numbers falling by 38%. suspended commercial aviation, restricted domestic travel, and implemented physical • The negative impact was distancing measures.
    [Show full text]